Maryville council approves $1.8M for water plant membranes

Maryville City Council said yes to purchasing over $1.8 million improvements to the water treatment plant during the January 13 meeting.

The replacement ZeeWeed membrane modules will be purchased from SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions, Minnetonka, MN, for a price not to exceed $1,810,025. Funding for the membranes will be part of the Series 2019 Certificates of Debt issuance that was approved December 17. This debt will be repaid from the water/sewer user fees over a seven year period, which is the life span of the membranes.

Delivery of the membranes are expected to arrive in late April or early May. There will be two representatives on site for six days to assist with the installation and testing the membrane integrity. The current membranes were installed in 2011.

The council heard three plans from Assistant City Manager Ryan Heiland to address the future of the airport advisory board for the Northwest Missouri Regional Airport business.

The first option was for everything to remain the same with the board which currently has four seat openings, while the second was to give the board a new mission with a regional business development focus. The third plan, which was accepted by a consensus vote of the council, was to disband the board. This action requires municipal code amendment. 

The council’s discussion centered around the funding mechanism for the airport coming from general revenue, so the group has little work to perform that is not already done by the two full-time city employees. One of the two employees is Heiland, who works closely with JViation, Denver, CO, a firm seeking out grants and funding.

Heiland reaffirmed that the pilots who utilize the airport are easily accessible for feedback through their regular gatherings.

Other business the council handled included:

• To further the progress of the 911 emergency dispatch services consolidation efforts, three councilmen were appoint to the oversight board. They were Tye Parsons, Ben Lipiec and Jason McDowell.

• Stephanie Campbell, president of the Downtown Maryville group, was appointed to finish Matt Gaarder’s term on the tourism committee. There are nine individuals who serve on this committee with five representing organizations.

•Jessica Piper, representing Maryville Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America – Be Smart, spoke to the council about gun safety especially with children.

• After a public hearing before the open session of the meeting, the floodplain management ordinance was repealed to be in compliance with FEMA and SEMA. Maryville’s Planning and Zoning Commission approved the new ordinance, which among other updates requires new construction to be one foot above the base flood elevation.

• Approved an ordinance to accept a trustee deed from William R. and Kay S. Thomson for real estate along South Munn Avenue for the creation of the Thomson Splash ‘N’ Play. The new city park will feature a splashpad area with spray features, musical play attractions, restroom facility, shade structures, benches and landscaping that will be constructed through the management of the Thomson family.

• Executed a lease for hangar space to Tom Snyders at the Northwest Missouri Regional Airport to harbor aircraft at a cost of $1,500 annually.

•Executed a two-year contract with SCS Engineers to monitor groundwater at the Maryville Sanitary Landfill to be in compliance with the groundwater monitoring plan with Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Missouri Attorney General office at a cost of $61,900.

• Authorized the contract with Summit Truck Group, St. Joseph, for the repair of a 2012 International dump truck not to exceed $10,373.44.

City Manager Greg McDanel gave an update to the South Main project that will affect 93 properties. He noted the preliminary design should be completed by January 20. He reported over 100 tons of salt-sand mix was spread with the last winter storm. The mill – overlay project on South Main between Lincoln and Halsey, which will include some drainage work, is in the plans. He announced he will be attending the next MDIO meeting on January 21 to explain the proposed overlay district for the downtown.

The council went into closed session for the purpose of speaking to the identification of computer components within the state statute 610.021(21).